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Test the hardware using the boot disks provided in Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7. In addition stress test the CPU - Stress Test with Prime95 - Windows 7 Forums
Try uninstalling Chrome and use IE10 or Firefox for awhile.
Make sure everything is turned off at Startup except MSE in msconfig>Startup and msconfig>Services after Hiding all MS Services.
Edit: You were posting the RAM update at the same time. It does sound like a hardware issue so that may resolve it. However I'd also follow the above steps for best performance anyway.